Abstract
BackgroundIncreasing laboratory findings indicate that n-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, inhibit cancer development and progression, but results from epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of fish intake with risk of liver cancer by conducting a meta-analysis.MethodsPublished case-control/cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between total fish intake and risk of liver cancer were found on PubMed and EMBASE. The pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained with the random-effects model.ResultsFive retrospective case-control studies and 5 prospective cohort studies were included in the final analysis, involving a total of 3 624 liver cancer cases. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of total fish intake, the pooled RRs of liver cancer were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.59-1.06) for case-control studies, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70-0.96) for cohort studies and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71-0.94) for all studies combined. The protective effects of total fish intake against liver cancer were confirmed by stratified and sensitivity analyses. In addition, an increase in fish intake of 1 serving/week was estimated to be significantly associated with 6% lower risk of liver cancer (RR = 0.94, 95% CI, 0.91-0.98).ConclusionsFindings from this meta-analysis suggest that a higher fish intake is associated with reduced risk of liver cancer.
Highlights
Liver cancer is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with about 564 000 new cases occurred each year [1,2]
Comparing the highest with the lowest category of total fish intake, the pooled relative risks (RRs) of liver cancer were 0.79 for case-control studies, 0.82 for cohort studies and 0.82 for all studies combined
An increase in fish intake of 1 serving/week was estimated to be significantly associated with 6% lower risk of liver cancer (RR = 0.94, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 0.91-0.98)
Summary
Liver cancer is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with about 564 000 new cases occurred each year [1,2] The burden of this disease is likely to continue to increase until 2030 [1,3]. A number of case-control [9,10,11,12,13] and cohort [14,15,16,17,18] studies that investigated the role of fish intake in the development of liver cancer have been carried out, but the results remain inconsistent. Increasing laboratory findings indicate that n-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, inhibit cancer development and progression, but results from epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive
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